Curbside Stories

The spectacular view from the balcony. This is my favorite photo of the trip. I have a friend who is a professional diver and he invited me to go to one of his diving trips to snorkel (because I don't dive). I immediately said yes because I badly needed a vacation. Casa Escondida Anilao Resort and Dive Center  in Mabini Circumferential Road, Mabini, Batangas. It i s 3 hours away from Manila. The resort offers 24-hour accommodations with meals included in fully air conditioned rooms, day tours and diving facilities. It is actually one of the favorite diving resorts of local celebrities. I cannot say that it is a family friendly resort since there isn't much to do for kids except for snorkeling and island hopping (the pool is 10-feet deep so swimming without a vest is not recommended), but if the kids are in to learn how to dive, this is the place. To learn more about the resort, just click on the link. The pool area. On the left is where divers prep their gears. J...

My photo taken by my travel buddy. I am not wearing an appropriate beach attire, again. It was five years ago when I  first visited  Munting Buhangin Beach Camp in Nasugbu, Batangas together with my two friends. It was a random trip borne out of boredom. Yesterday, my travel buddy and I only planned to have lunch in Tagaytay City but we ended up driving to Batangas. We initially thought of going to a resort we haven't visited yet, in fact, we inquired at Canyon Cove--but we ended up in Munting Buhangin again... The white sand beach that is overlooked by a neighbor members only resort--Terrazas De Punta Fuego. Me waiting for the sun to set  in one of the tents. I noticed they added more tents to accommodate day tour guests. They were also painting and repairing cottages as one of the preparations for the summer vacation. The same nipa cottages that are lined up on the beach are still there. The entrance fee for day tour is Php180 but if ...

I am not a fan of American football but I am definitely a fan of Beyonce. Her halftime performance at the Super Bowl  made me like her even more! She is such an amazing artist.    

Don't do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. - Philippians 2:3 In a historical turn of events, Juan Manuel Marquez defeated Manny Pacquiao via technical knockout on Round 6. It was the most devastating sight any Filipino could witness from a man who has brought so much honor in the country through boxing. Go and succeed in your grandeur! Ride out on behalf of truth, humility, and righteousness. Let your strong hand perform awesome deeds! - Psalms 45:4 Despite the loss, Pacquiao left the arena with a smile. It is not something that you get to see in the world of competitive sports. Defeat definitely teaches us humility. What we can learn from this day is that we must know when to stop. If we will not listen to God, He will have to do it the hard way... like letting us hit the floor really hard

Another proud moment for me... my son was champion in the 25-meter sprint and 50-meter relay during their sports fest in school. When my sister asked me to train him to sprint, I was kind of hesitant knowing that he had previous leg fracture from a motorcycle accident. I was thinking his bone is not yet fully healed and he might tumble and cause it to break again. I asked my sister to join him in other sports, volleyball perhaps, since he likes to play it too, but not in sprint. I am just a paranoid mom. Anyway, he ran and he did not injure himself... he even brought home two gold medals so I guess there is nothing to worry about anymore. I am sensing an Olympian in the making and in whatever sport he will pursue, I will support him all the way.

Photo from independent.co.uk It has been a bad Olympic moment for South Korean fencer Shin Lam for being defeated because of a defective timer. It was so bad that she  refuses to receive a special medal. Photo from g4tv.com. Divers who were photoshopped to appear they are doing the deed on the toilet. The Olympic pressure is building up and we can't blame the participants and the committee as well if they are a lot pressured than usual... let loose, guys. Even for a short while. Oh, and as of this moment China and US are tied with 30 gold medals and Japan with 17. Good luck to all the participating countries!

The boxing world was stunned of the announcement that Timothy Bradley beat the pound for pound boxer Manny Pacquio via split decision on June 9. The uproar of fans compelled the World Boxing Organization (WBO) to conduct an investigation. The Preisdent of  WBO, Paco Valcarel declares Pacquiao as the true winner after the investigation of the 5-man panel with scores 117-111, 117-111, 118-110, 116-112 and 115-113. All scored in favor of Pacquiao. However, despite the WBO result, the organization has no authority to revoke the actual fight result. Bob Arum announced earlier that there will be no rematch unless an investigation will be made. We can expect a rematch on November but there are no official statements yet from both parties. However, Bradley said that if a rematch will push through, he is ready to fight Pacquiao to prove that he really did win the World Welterweight Championship. While Bradley is rejoicing of the win, what Pacquiao fans can do is to console ...

Photo from here . Exactly a week ago, Manny Pacquiao was robbed of a boxing title... that was the belief of many. Many, too, believes that Timothy Bradley deserved the title. There were some news of a rematch on November... both parties agreed, but, Bob Arum said it won't happen unless a formal investigation will be made to clear the controversial bout. My thoughts... I was able to watch the fight live on television and based on my perception of the entire event, it was a really close fight. I am not an expert in boxing nor a fanatic but in my own opinion, Bradley gave his best. He was not expecting to win after all. On the other hand, Pacquiao also gave his best but if I were to compare his performance that day to his previous fights, it was not his best. He has lost fierce and desire to win the match. He has tamed. Does it have to do with his change of faith? We don't know. But, if it was... his defeat over a "lesser" boxer can be a test of fait...

The world of boxing fanatics will come to a halt today as they witness one of the most anticipated fights of the year... Pacquiao vs. Bradley. But, it is not really  what I look forward to this day... it is our family get together that happens every time there is a Pacman fight. Who do you think will win? I do hope it will be Pacquiao. Although I am not a boxing fanatic, I am still a Filipino who takes pride in the success of a fellow countryman.

Photo from here . I am back playing my favorite sport--volleyball! I have been playing since I was ten years old. I think the love for the game runs in my blood because my aunts and uncles used to play, too. I started competing when I was in grade four until when I was in college. I stopped competing when I began to work in 2003. It is just now that I started playing again. I missed the thrill and the teamwork.

I am not a football fan, heck, I do not even know the rules of the game. But, I watched the televised exhibition game of the Azkals and LA Galaxy at the Rizal Memorial Stadium and I was hooked. So, the LA Galaxy won with a score of 6 versus the 1 goal of the Azkals, but the game brought the house down. It was one unforgettable moment in the world of sports particularly in the world of football fans in the Philippines. Manny Pacquiao was the lucky one who took home David Beckham's jersey. 

Manny Pacquiao beat Juan Manuel Marquez for the last time in Welterweight division. The pound for pound boxing champ, Pacman, did not give what was expected of him but nonetheless, by majority decision, he remains the champion. I watched the most awaited rematch on live television and saw first hand how the two fighters performed. I believe that Marquez gave his all to this fight--it was the fight of a lifetime for him, a chance to prove that he is the real champion. Round 1 ended, 2, 3, 4 and 5... both seemed to be even. Round 6 came, 7, 8, 9, 10... it seems Marquez dominated the 5 rounds. The last two rounds were critical for Pacquiao... no knockout. It was a nerve wracking 2 minutes or so waiting for the decision. While the judges tally their scores, Jinkee Pacquiao was teary eyed, Marquez started to make his little celebration on the other side of the ring, Pacquiao knelt to pray and eventually approached Marquez as if confirming the latter's reason for celebration....

On Sunday at MGM in Las Vegas, the world will finally witness another boxing event that will leave a mark in the world of sports and hopefully will end the question of who is the world's greatest boxer. <a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/5660870/">Who do you think will win?</a>

My son's dad is a good basketball player, although he did not go to basketball training school and do not play in pro tournaments, he joins inter-town games with his friends. He sees basketball more as a sport rather than a possible source of income. When our son was born, he always said that someday he will teach our son to play. The thought of father and son basketball bonding excites me so much... it is a sight that I commonly see on television shows or in movies. Anyway, our son is now three years old and instead of learning how to play basketball, he learned to play volleyball--my sport. His dad wasn't actually disappointed that he is more interested in my sport than his sport, but, I could sense that he is still wishing it is his sport rather than mine. So now, I am thinking of sending our son to basketball training school when he gets a little older.

My mom is pushing me to pursue my migration application to Canada while waiting for my US application to be approved. It's quite confusing actually. I have already filled out the application form and is currently waiting for some supporting documents to go with it. I have little knowledge about Canada, honestly. All I know is that it is freezing cold there--which is not good for me,but, whatever--and that they have beautiful mountain ranges and rivers to go kayaking. The latter makes me ecstatic to go there. I have many relatives in Canada and  I have heard from them that Vancouver kayaks are the best. I can imagine as early as now the amazing landscape, lush greens and wild rapids that will greet me when I go there.

I could still very well remember how my uncles would join inter-town basketball leagues. My aunts and I, together with my other cousins would go to the gym and watch their game. In my humble opinion, my uncles were the greatest basketball players in the league. Despite the television marathon watching every NBA or PBA games with my aunts, I never really had a formal basketball training aside from when it was a requisite physical education subject back in college. I do believe that we all have different talents, as for me, basketball is not one of those. I am not considering a training in the sport because I don't like running around the court trying to shoot the ball, I just like to watch in the bleachers and cheer my favorite team.

From Reuters. Congrats Pacman!  It was your most boring fight ever but still you made Filipinos proud. Mommy Dionisia can have her Hermes bag . 

If your mom is a Pacquiao fan, better give her pay-per-view ticket for tomorrow's fight versus Mosley as your Mother's Day Gift. Otherwise, treat her to a posh dinner for two... I know you don't want to miss the fight. Just don't forget to greet your mom and thank her because if it weren't for her, you definitely will not witness the most anticipated boxing event of the year.

Photo from here . If there is one thing I would like to try, it is to bungee jump. I am not really a thrill seeker, I just want to try it because everyone who has tried it said it was fun. I want to experience jumping from a high platform, feel the wind, experience gravity in its most powerful state, scream my heart out and to be pulled back by an elastic rope upside down.

Random Thoughts: 8th Boxing Title for Manny Pacquiao Manny Pacquiao announced yesterday during an interview that he will not yet retire. He will just take a rest, condition himself again and prepare for another fight probably next year. Well, that means we still have something to look forward to in boxing and hopefully another belt for Pacman. I was expecting Mommy Dionisia to be caught live praying ringside but it was his wife, Jinkee, who had some shots. I just learned during the evening news that Mommy Dionisia collapsed during the fight. I might collapse too if I will see my son receiving punches from a taller and muscular guy. I don't know if Mommy Dionisia already know Pacman's plans for next year... I hope she will not collapse. She's been begging Pacman to retire. We can't blame her for her wish because boxing is really a dangerous sport and besides Pacman has proven a lot already. I think no one will ever surpass what he has achieved.